Decolonizing Funding and Scaling Advocacy: Thrive Philanthropy at the AVA Summit Kenya
CEO Jessika speaks at the AVA Summit Kenya 2025
The Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit in Kenya proved to be an inspiring milestone for Africa’s growing vegan movement. The gathering brought together advocates, organizations, and changemakers to share strategies and build collaborations that shape the continent’s food systems future.
In her presentation on Decolonizing Funding, Thrive Philanthropy’s CEO, Jessika, is highlighting how international stakeholders can play a constructive role in shifting Africa’s food systems away from industrial animal agriculture and toward local, sustainable, plant-based solutions—approaches that avoid harm to communities and animals alike.
Jessika, shared thoughtful perspectives on how global funding can be a tool of liberation rather than control. She emphasized the importance of trusting local advocates as decision-makers, centering African expertise, and moving resources in ways that honor the leadership and lived realities of grassroots changemakers.
Participants left the session with key insights on transforming traditional funding models:
De-centering donor priorities to prioritize local needs and strategies.
Amplifying cultural context to ensure relevance and sustainability.
Building partnerships that strengthen, not reshape, existing movement ecosystems.
During the summit, Thrive Philanthropy’s team met dozens of Thrive grantees and Thrive Africa members. Nearly 95% of the diet change organizations present were connected to Thrive’s work, a sign of how deeply the initiative is contributing to exponential growth in Africa’s vegan movement.
For the first time, Thrive’s entire international team comes together in person, further strengthening global collaboration.
The summit is also created space for multiple insightful conversations on advocacy, funding, and the role of grassroots organizations in leading change. Beyond the event, Jessika is continuing her trip across several African countries to meet with more grantees and update Thrive’s Africa strategy, ensuring that the work on the ground is aligned with the urgent call for sustainable food systems.
The AVA Summit Kenya is not only a celebration of progress but also a powerful reminder of how collaboration, innovation, and shared vision are accelerating the shift toward a more compassionate and sustainable future across Africa and beyond.
Connecting with Thrive Africa Members and Grantees in Kenya
Thrive Africa Members and Grantees family photo at the Ava Summit Kenya
Thrive Philanthropy CEO, Jessika Ava, MS, MPA, met several Thrive Africa members and grantees and at the Summit in Nairobi, connecting directly with the advocates driving change on the ground across Africa.
Thrive Philanthropy developed the Thrive Africa movement-building project after noticing a limited number of grant applications coming from the region. By addressing these funding barriers, the initiative is enabling more organizations and individuals to engage in plant-based advocacy, resulting in an exponential rise in vegan campaigns across Africa.
Through these efforts, Thrive Africa is creating networks, building capacity, and empowering local leaders to take action. The movement is not only growing in numbers but also in impact, fostering sustainable, just food systems throughout Africa.
Thrive Africa Women’s Initiative members
In-person Connections
Finally, Thrive Africa vegan women’s initiative members met at the summit.
This was indeed a moment to for women working to advance plant-based food systems advocacy across Africa to come together , exchange ideas and build connections .